Lifting apparatus for upright bowling pins



Dec. 25, 1956 s. LARKIN LIFTING APPARATUS FOR UPRIGHT BOWLING PINS 7 Filed May 3, 1964 r 3 Sheets-Sheet l ill/Z JAM LAW/(ml Fj 9'INVENT0R.

Dec. 25, 1956 s. LARKIN L IFTING APPARATUS FOR UPRIGHT BOWLING PINS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1954 INVEIIIT JIT flttomey they stand after to replace such means to raise and lower the vertical.

' and improved pin-gripping means United States Patent Sam Larkin, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May. 3, 1954, Serial No. 427,217 14 Claims. (Cl. 273-42) The present invention relates to pin-setting apparatus for a bowling alley.

In ususal bowling procedure, after the pins have been set in their standard formation and the player has made the first throw of the ball, all pins thrown down are removed from the alley while all those remaining upright are left unmolested wherever they stand. After the second throw of the ball, all the pins are reset for the next play.

An object of this'invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus to lift the upright pins wherever permit clearing lifted pins to the respective positions they were in before being lifted; said apparatus being movable to ofier no obstruction to play. The initial setting of the pins may have been accomplished manually or by othermechanism.

A further object hereof is to provide novel and improved apparatus of the type set forth affording auto.-

matically adjusting pin-gripping means at each pin position whereby-no pin is laterally. shifted and including gripped pins only along the is to provide a novel for each of the pins; each of such gripping means being individually controlled by the pin it is to act on and comprising simple and inexpensive .mechanical devices to -do its work and to have it return to its initial rest position after it has done its work. a p v A further object of the presentinvention is to provide novel and improved apparatus of the kind described, which issimple in structure, easy to operate and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it -is designated. Other objects and advantages will become-apparent as this description proceeds. In the accompanying drawings Another object of this invention forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. I ;Figs. 1 through 9, are diagrammatic views showing the successive steps in the cycle of operation of 'a unit the first throw of the ball, in order to the alley of the fallen pins and. then mechanism embodying the teachings of this invention.

The complete apparatus utilizesone such .u'nit for each bowling pin. i1. 22;.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic side view of a bowling alley having pins arranged in their initial setup format and above said-pin-resting area is shown the'apparatus embodying this invention, of which some'components are. omitted in order to attain clarity of. illustration.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of such apparatus. rFig. 12 is an enlarged section through. one of the units, taken atlinesY12-12 in Fig. 10.

-. Fig. 13 is a section taken at lines 13-13 in Fig. 12. This view is not a true projection, but is distorted to attainlclarity of illustration. T 1

Fig; 14 is an enlargedsection taken'at lines14-14 in Fig. 13, showing a 'slightlymo'difiedstructure.

bisector is vertical.

atented Dec. 25, .1956

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of .a part included in the embodiment described herein.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the member carrying the pin-gripping means. There is one such member in each of the mentioned units.

Fig. 17 is a top plan view. of the component shown in Fig. 16, showing its associated pin-gripping means in its condition when it is about to contact the pin to be gripped thereby. f

Fig. 18 is similar to Fig. 17, but shows the pin gripped.

Fig. 19 is another representation of the unit, in a condition akin to that shown in Fig. 9,

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic top plan view of Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is another representation of the 'unit, in a condition akin to that shown in Fig. 2.

t Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic top plan view of Fig. 21. i

In the drawings, the numeral 25 designates generally a unit of mechanism for dealing with one bowling pin 26. Of course, there are as many such units 25 as there are pins, and being identical, description of one will suffice for all. I p

In the preferred embodiment shown herein, each unit 25 includes a vertically upright cylindrical receptacle 27 for holding: an upright bowling pin 26 therein in sliding fit therewith. The bottom wall of this receptacle may be divided into three sectors, each constituting a downwardly swingable gate 28. These gates when opened, allow the pin 26 to slide downwardly out of said receptacle 27. Intermediate the top andbottom ends of such receptacle, there extend the outwardly radial, equi-spaced, coplanar, identical arms 29. Each of the gate 28 has an upwardly extending lug or car 30 which is suitably pivoted on a horizontal axis pin 31. A ring 32 is slidably carried about and on the receptacle 27. When this ring is at the very-bottom of said receptacle, it engages the lugs 30 as holds the gates 28 closed. It is evident that when said ring 32 is raised along the receptacle 27, said gates 28 will automatically swing open, and when lowered, ring .32 will cause said gates to close. p

The numeral. 33 designates generally a cylindrical tu bular member carrying therein along the bottom ring thereof, a hollow, inflatable, horizontally-expandable annulus 34, which serves as the pin-gripping means. When deflated, said annulus. is along the channel 35 and it may be moulded to assume accordion-pleated form as shown at 34'. Below the upper rim portion 33' of the member 33, thereare a plurality of openings 36 which are equi-spaced and identical. The bottom portion of each of said openings is a V-n'otch 36 whose angle The vertices of said notches are in a single horizontal plane. The upper edges of said cut-' .outs or openings 36, are in a single horizontal plane; the conditions mentioned occuring when said member 33 is suspended on the horizontally positioned radial arms 29 which extend through said openings 36 respectively. Said tubular member 33 is free for lateral movement along said arms because it is of substantially larger diameter than the receptacle 27. The annulus 34 is infiatable by means of compressed air fed therein through the intake port37, until the center hole therethrough is smaller-than the 'neck of a bowling pin 26. Extending downwardly from the bottom rim edge of the member 33, are a plurality of rounded teats 38, so that said member may slide with ease along the alley floor 38; said member being comparatively very light in weight. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three openings 36 and -The receptacles 27 of all the units 25 are through apshown'in Fig. 13 and i propriate holes in a horizontally positioned frame or plate 40, so that substantially the entire body of each of said receptacles hangs below said frame. The receptacles may be rigidly secured to said frame, or as shown, are preferably slidably fitted through said holes in the frame member 40, provided with an outward flange as 41 at their top ends respectively and resiliently associated to said frame 40 by means of comparatively short compression springs 42 whose ends are secured to said flanges and the frame member respectively. Said receptacles 27 are so arranged on said frame and said frame 40 is so mounted for vertical movement on fixed track means as for instance the bars 43, that the axes of said receptacles 27 are respectively the vertical lines extending from the respective centers of the bowling pin positions on the alley floor 38, defining the initial format for said bowling pins. Such format usually being of the form encompassing a triangular area, it is practical when such is the case, that said frame 40 be of such trianglular form as shown in Fig. 11.

Devices are known which are adaptable to load each receptacle 27 with an uprightly positioned bowling pin after the frame 40 carrying all the units 25 is lifted to a fixed member 44 having appropriate openings 45, which is part of such loading device. So far as the present invention is concerned, the receptacles 27 shall be deemed loaded as shown in Figs. 1 and 13, to explain the cycle of operation of my present apparatus, for which purpose reference is particularly had to the Figs. 1-9 of the drawings.

I will now describe the action of one of the units 25. The frame 40 is at rest in its raised position as shown in Fig. 1. The receptacle 27 has a bowling pin 26 therein and the relative position of all the components of said unit 25 is as illustrated in Fig. 13. The annulus 34 is in deflated condition and is within the confines of the channel 35. The ring 32 is in position where the gates 28 are closed. The carrying member 33 of the pin-gripping means rests with its upper rim portion 33 on the arms 29. Fingers 46 secured to and extending downwardly from the fixed member 44, have their bottom ends in contact with the arms 39' which are on the ring 32. The member 33 is sufliciently above the alley floor 38 to allow unobstructed play by the bowlers. When it is desired to set the bowling pins on the alley floor, frame 40 is lowered by any suitable means as for instance by the ropes 47 on pulleys 48, until member 33 rests on the alley floor and said frame is lowered further, whereupon the upper rim 33' of member 33 will intercept arms 39, and as the frame 40 continues downward, the laden receptacle 27 being comparatively heavy, the ring 32 will slide upwards on the receptacle, thereby releasing hold of the gates 28, which latter will now open downward and pin 26 will fall a short distance onto the alley floor just where it should be.

The total extent to which the frame 40 is lowered is such that receptacle 27 is brought down just so far as to permit the gates 28 to open fully and be slightly off the alley floor. The condition of the unit 25 is now as shown in Fig. 2.

The frame 40 is now raised to initial rest position. The member 33 will again rest on the arms 29. The arms 39, during such upward movement of the frame 40, will be intercepted by the fingers 46, which will cause the ring 32 to move downward on the receptacle 27, thereby causing the gates 28 to close. The condition of the apparatus is now as shown in Fig. 10. The pins are in their required format and play can start.

The bowler now throws the ball. If all the bowling pins are knocked down, the alley is cleared of them, the receptacles 27 are again loaded and the action depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and is repeated. If some of the bowling pins remain standing, they will be either where they were initially set on the alley floor, or shifted from their initial positions in a direction away from the bowler.

throw. The bowler This condition is shown in Fig. 3. It is now necessary to remove the fallen bowling pins as 26' without disturbing the positions of those which are upright. I will now explain how with the apparatus shown, the standing pins are lifted vertically so that the alley fioor can be swept of fallen pins, either manually or with any suitable device, and then lowered onto the alley floor. It is evident that if the upright pins are moved only vertically, that when reset on the alley floor, their respective positions in which they were before being lifted are maintained.

So the next step is to lower the frame 40 until the horizontal undersurface of the bottom of the receptacle 27 offered by the closed gates 28, contacts the top of the bowling pin 26. The weight of the lowered apparatus is suflicient to hold the pin 26 pressed against the alley floor, and with the structure shown, the frame 40 is heavy enough to stress the springs 42, after said contact is established, thereby further assuring that such pin 26 will be held fast. The condition is now as shown in Fig. 4. It is to be noted that the neck of the pin 26 is in the plane of the annulus 34.

Said annulus is now inflated by a supply of compressed air led into the intake port 37 by means of a valve manipulated by the attendant who lowers and raises the frame 40 when needed. The central hole of the annulus 34 will become smaller and smaller and let us presume that the axes of the said pin 26 and of the member 33 are out of alignment (see Fig. 17). Upon contact of said annulus with the neck of the pin 26 and further inflation of such annulus, member 33 will slide along the supporting arms 29, so that when said annulus is inflated sufiiciently to firmly grip the neck of the said pin, the axes of such pin and of the member 33 will coincide as in Fig. 18. It is evident that the member 33 has moved from its position shown in Fig. 17 to that shown in Fig. 18. The condition of the apparatus is now as indicated in Fig. 5.

As the next step, the apparatus is raised and of course, the gripped pins 26 will go along with it in true vertical direction. The alley floor is now swept clear of the fallen bowling pins 26, and the described condition is now as is shown in Fig. 6.

For the next step, the apparatus is lowered until the bowling pins 26 are on the alley floor as shown in Fig. 7. The annulus 34 of each of the units 25 is now deflated, whereupon all the pins 26 held by them will be released as shown in Fig. 8. The apparatus is now finally raised as shown in Fig. 9. It is evident that the pins remaining upright after the first throw of the ball, have been reset to their respective positions they were at after such first can now make the second throw.

It may here be noted, that except for the lateral shift which. may have been experienced by the member 33 from its position in Fig. 4, to that of Fig. 5, the condition and position of the apparatus is the same in Fig. 9 and in Fig. 1. Hence, each unit 25 is ready for reloading with a bowling pin so the condition in Fig. 1 again exists and the apparatus is ready for repetition of the cycle of operation hereinabove set forth. Also to be noted is that the apparatus is moved but two distances from its normal rest raised position shown in Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 9. One is to attain the condition shown in Fig. 2', and the other to attain the condition shown in Fig. 4.

Although the pin-gripping carrier member 33 may be in eccentric relation with the receptacle 27 in Figs. 1 and 9 as caused in Fig. 5, it is necessary to have them in concentric relation or substantially so, for the apparatus condition. shown in .Fig; 4. It is therefore to be noted that when the unit 25 is lowered as in Fig. 2, said eccentric relation shown in Fig. 20 will changed to concentric relation as shown in Fig. 22, because the arms 29 will'respectively act cam-like against the edges of the V-notches 36., causing the member 33 to slide along the-alley floor 38' in Fig. 2, until said arms rest respectively in the; vertices of said notches,

whereby 'con'centricity is; attained-by memberf33 with the receptacle 27. a i

The length of drop of the bowling pin from the receptacle 27 onto the alley floor as shown in Fig. 2, is slightly greater than the largestcross sectional radius of said pin. It is advisable to have a rubber cushion 50 on each of the gates 28- for said pin. to rest on and when said gates open, such cushions 50 will act to guide and retard the fall of the pin 26L Such cushionsalso "eliminate noise when the pin is loaded-into'the receptacle 27.

Because of the distance between the player and the pins, some of those remaining upright after the first throw of the ball, may be obstructed from his view. I therefore provide an electric'lamp 51 for each ofthe units 25, powered by a current supply 52in a circuit controlled by a switch device 53; said switch being normally in open condition. Howeven when the apparatus is in the condition shown in Fig. 4, arm 54 carried by the resiliently mounted receptacle 27,will move or cause the movement of the operating element of said switch device 53, whereupon the switch will close and the lamp 51 will be lit. Said lamps of all the units 25 may be arranged in initial pin formation on a board not shown, within view of the player, so at a glance he will know which of the pins have remained upright.

It may be desired to use the teachings of the present invention only for the practice of the steps commencing with Fig. 3 and ending with Fig. 9, as in installations where it is intended to initially set the pins on the alley floor by hand or by other means. In such event, member 27 may have a bottom wall instead of the gates 28, and all gate-operating mechanism is omitted. However all the steps from Fig. 1 through Fig. 9 will need be included in the cycle of operation, except pin loading and pin setting included in the steps shown in Figs. 1 and 2, because it is required to shift member 33 into concentric relation with the member 27, which is only accomplished as shown in Fig. 2.

In fact, for the limited practice just described, it is not necessary to hold the pins 26 pressed against the floor 38 as in Figs. 4 and 5, to accomplish the condition shown in Fig. 5, because each such pin is heavy enough to stay put while the comparatively light-weight member 33 is laterally shifted on the supporting arms 29 due to the action of the expanding annulus 34. What is necessary is that the apparatus be lowered to such extent that the annulus be around its associated pin 26, preferably at the neck region of such pin.

Considering the construction of the unit 25 as shown in Fig. 13, the distance between the centers of the bowling pins in initial formation, will be the dominant factor determining the diameter for the outer member 33 and its scope of lateral movement. The area of the bottom surface presented by the inner member 27, should be made as large as is permitted by the scope of such lateral movement so that the unit 25 will be effective for the accomplishment of the step shown in Fig. 5 over an area as large as possible, having the initial position of the pin axis as the center of such surface.

If we consider that portion of the annulus 34 which contacts and grips the pin 26, as being comprised of adjacent sections around the hole of the annulus, then each such section is really an element whose locus of movement is radial and all are moved towards or away from center simultaneously equally.

It might here be noted that it becomes most practical to reload the receptacles 27 with a set of bowling pins at the time the apparatus is in the condition shown in Fig. 3, because if the player throws all the pins with the first throw, then after clearing the alley, the cycle can be started anew.

This invention is capable of numerous forms without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments described herein shall be deemed illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the following claims ratherxthan to the specific description *herein toindicate the scope of this invention. 11 i 1 I claim: l l p v 1. In bowling pin manipulating apparatus, a frame positioned above a bowling alley floor, means for moving said frame to and from said floor, a member depending from said frame over an initial pin position when the frame is lowered, a plurality. of horizontal arms extending radially fromsaid member, a vertically positioned tubular member having a.plurality of openings through the wall thereof, positioned about said depending member; said armsbeing' positioned through said openings respectively, whereby said tubular member is supported on said arms and is laterally movable thereon a predetermined distance in every direction and a bowling pin-gripping means carried by said tubular member below said depending member; the bottom portion of each of said openings through the tubular member being a V-notch respectively; the vertex of each such notch being vertically under the arm which is through the opening of which the notch is a part, when said tubular member is in a predetermined position on said arms and is concentric with the axis from which said arms extend radially; the extent of movement of the frame being such that when lowered towards the floor, the said tubular member will rest on said floor and each arm will rest in the vertex of the notch of the opening the arm is through; each of said openings having opposite side edges and the associated notch being from and between said side edges.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the pin-gripping means comprises a series of elements defining an area between them; said area being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tubular member; said elements being movable towards and away from each other and means to move said elements whereby said area is changed.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the pin-gripping means comprises a series of elements defining a circular area between them; said circle being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tubular member; said elements being radially movable towards and away from the center of said circle and means to move said elements whereby said circle is changed.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the pin-gripping means comprises a series of elements defining a circle between them; said circle being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said tubular member; said elements being radially movable towards and away from the center of said circleand means to simultaneously move said elements equally whereby the diameter of said circle is changed.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the mentioned circle is concentric with the tubular member.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the pingripping means comprises a radially expandable, resilient, inflatable annulus positioned horizontally within the tubular member.

7. Theapparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said annulus and tubular member are concentric.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said annulus is around the inner surface of said tubular member.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the angle bisectors of the respective vertices of the V-notches are vertical.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the dependent member presents a horizontal undersurface extending laterally in all directions with respect to the vertical line at said initial pin position and of such extent as to permit said predetermined lateral movement of the tubular member on the supporting arms.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the 12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the depending member is vertically resiliently mounted on the frame by spring means adapted to be stressed upon upward movement of said depending member in relation to said frame.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the depending member is mounted on the frame for vertically sliding at least a comparatively short distance, and Wherein is included an electric lamp, a source of electrical energy in circuit with said lamp and an electrical switch means interposed in said circuit; said switch means being positioned on the apparatus whereby it is set into condition to close said circuit to operate said lamp upon upward movement of the depending member in relation to the frame.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a member carried on the bottom of the depending member, presenting a horizontal undersurface extending laterally in all directions with respect to the vertical line at said initial pin position and of such extent as to permit said predetermined lateral movement 'of the tubular member when said supporting arms aredirectly above the vertices of the V-notches, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,384 White et 1. Feb. 7, 1933 2,300,802 Parra et a1 Nov. 3, 1942 2,308,209 Schmutzer et a1 Jan. 12, 1943 2,488,826 Peebles Nov. 22, 1949 2,547,203 Gotf Apr. 3, 1951 2,550,835 MacFarland May 1, 1951 2,591,450 Luebbert Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 688,211 France May 12, 1930 

